“Of course,” said Boon, coldly, disgusted with the venal aristocracy, “we'd never have done such a--” “Tut, tut! It's done everywhere; but not to me!” Colonel Lowther said, so sternly that Mr. Boon considered himself accused of unnamed crimes. He resented this, but, being unable to fix the exact accusation, contented himself with remarking, diplomatically: “Of course not! But at the same time--” “Yes, yes,” rudely broke in the colonel, with a silencing wave of his gloved hand. “Now I can myself pay you in cash for whatever the duke buys--say, up to twenty thousand or twenty-five thousand pounds. For advancing this money, which will not be paid to me for months, I ask you to allow me a half-year's interest. That,” finished Colonel Lowther, impressively, “is banking. What?” “At what rate?” “Oh, eight or ten per cent.” “Impossible!” “Then, Mr. Welch, Boon, or whatever your name is, I wish you a very good morning!” “But we'll allow you interest at the rate of six per cent, a year.” “But I myself have to pay five for the use--ah!--that is--er--” floundered the Englishman. Mr. Boon perceived instantly that the colonel borrowed the money from Canadian bankers at five per cent, and got ten per cent. It was not a bad scheme for high-class aristocratic graft! Even a jeweler could philosophize about wilful self-delusion, the point of view, custom, and so on. “Make it seven per cent. What?” Mr. Boon could not help admiring the persistency of the Englishman in coating his graft-pills with the sugar of legitimacy. Doubtless the colonel had really convinced himself this was not graft! “Very well,” said Mr. Boon, with a smile. “I'll take three and a half per cent, off for cash.” “But we agreed on seven!” remonstrated the Englishman. “Well, three and a half per cent, of the whole is the same as six months at seven per cent.” “Oh!” The colonel began to figure in his mind. His cervical contortions, twitchings, and jerkings were painful to behold. Mr. Boon thought it was a mild form of St. Vitus's dance. It would enable him to recognize the colonel in a crowd of ten thousand. “Quite so! Yes--three and a half per cent, of the total bill. It will be at least twenty thousand pounds--that's one hundred thousand dollars. Not half bad! What?” “Do you mean your commission will be one hundred thousand dollars? I'm delighted to hear it!” Mr. Boon was so pleased that he jested. He would play up the royal patronage to the limit. “Oh no! I meant the total amount, you know,” corrected the colonel, earnestly. He saw that Boon was smiling, and gradually it dawned on him that the jeweler was an American humorist. “Oh! Ah! Yes! Very funny! Quite so! I wish it were! How many millions would the bill have to be for the cash discount to be twenty thousand pounds? What? Right-O! Well, now bring the pearls and the other things to the motor. I shall show them to his Royal Highness at once. I can let you know in a half-hour which he will keep.” And he rose.